Psalms 60:4 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou hast given a banner to them that feared thee— That is, "Though the Philistines and other nations have long been too hard for us, by reason of our divisions; yet now thou hast made me to be king, that under my banner, or ensign, the people may unanimously fight against their enemies." Because of the truth, signifies, "According to thy faithful promise given me, to be king over them." Mudge renders this and the following verses thus, Thou givest to them that fear thee a signal to be displayed before the truth. Psalms 60:5. That thy favoured ones may be delivered, clothe thy right arm with victory, and answer us. Psalms 60:6. God speaketh in his sanctuary. I will exult: I shall portion out Shechem, and measure the valley of Succoth. The fourth verse, he says, seems to mean that God had appointed for the consolation of his people a certain signal of favour, with which therefore he prays him to answer them. This accordingly he does. God speaketh in his sanctuary; called דביר debir, or oracle, for that very reason. What he desires then, as he stands imploring the mercy of God before the oracle, is, that he may see the usual signal of favour proceed from it: a voice perhaps, joined with some luminous emanation; whence the phrase of the light of God's countenance. The expression in the 6th verse seems to be proverbial, and means, "I shall divide the spoils of my enemies with as much ease as the sons of Jacob portioned but Shechem, and measured out for their tents the valley of Succoth." The satisfaction that Benhadad received touching the safety of his life, 1 Kings 20:31-32 appears to have been by words; but it seems that the modern eastern people have looked upon the giving them a banner, as a more sure pledge of protection. Thus Albert Aquensis informs us, that when Jerusalem was taken in 1099, about three hundred Saracens got upon the roof of a very lofty building, and earnestly begged for quarter; but could not be induced by any promises of safety to come down, till they had received the banner of Tancred, one of the chiefs of the Croisade army, as a pledge of life. It did not indeed avail them, as that historian observes; for their behaviour occasioned such indignation that they were, to a man, destroyed. The event shewed the faithlessness of these zealots, whom no solemnities could bind; but the Saracens surrendering themselves upon the delivery of a standard to them, proves in how strong a light they looked upon the giving a banner, since it induced them to trust it when they would not trust any promises. Perhaps the delivery of a banner was anciently esteemed in like manner an obligation to protect, and that the Psalmist might here consider it in this light; when, upon a victory gained over the Syrians and Edomites, after the public affairs of Israel had been in a very low estate, he says, Thou hast shewed thy people hard things, &c.—Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee. "Though thou didst for a time give up thine Israel into the hands of their enemies, thou hast now given them an assurance of thy having received them under thy protection." When the Psalmist is represented as saying, Thou hast given a banner,—that it may be displayed, it may be questioned whether it is rightly translated, since it is most probable that they used anciently only a spear, properly ornamented, to distinguish it from a common one; as the same Albert tells us, that a very long spear covered all over with silver, (to which another writer of those Croisade wars adds, a ball of gold at the top,) was the standard of the Egyptian princes at that time, and carried before their armies. Thou hast given a banner,—an ensign or standard, to them that fear thee, that it may be lifted up, may perhaps be a better version; or rather, that they may lift up a banner to themselves, or encourage themselves with the confident persuasion that they are under the protection of God; because of the truth, thy word of promise, which is an assurance of protection, like the giving me and my people a banner; the surest of pledges. See the Observations, p. 360.